The Bodyhack Fitness Blog

13 Body Hacks to Transform Your Life

Life as a BodyHacker isn’t as difficult as you may think. And if you can incorporate the schedule of someone who’s done it before, then, well…you get the idea.

Let’s take a look at what happens during a typical 24 hour period in an ideal BodyHack Day.

6:00am – Wake Up, Look Good

Studies show that beauty sleep isn’t just for the fairy tales. Getting enough rest has as much benefit as any beauty procedure. No, you’re not going to look like you had a facelift overnight, but you will look and appear refreshed and happier which send signals to others that you are more attractive than someone that is sleep deprived and stressed. And proper sleep also enables you to cope with stressful situations without getting overworked emotionally.

8:00am – Fuel Up

Hitting the breakfast table after, instead of before, a workout will maximize your body’s burning potential. But eating a heavy, fat-laden meal will counteract what you just did with your workout.

Power your body with clean, whole foods, and it will purr like the cub of a Begnal tiger until lunch.

Do it today: Juice (or blend if you don’t have a juicer) 3 leaves of Kale, 1 cup of spinach, 4 strawberries, 1 banana, 1 kiwi, and 1 cup of nonfat milk and enjoy!

9:00am Start every day as a Producer, not a Consumer

Now that you’re energized with your hard HIITing workout and your light breakfast, your mind is ready to tackle anything. Take advantage of this and get rid of three of your most daunting projects. Set your timer for an hour and work undistracted by the net, people around you or thoughts about what you need to do next. Focus.

10:00am – Break & Stretch & Snack

Congrats! You just ticked off three items from your list and you feel GREAT! But your body is stiff and needs a little refresher from sitting so long. Stretching your body relaxes your stiffened muscles and increases blood flow. The increased circulation energizes and invigorates you.

After stretching, fuel your body with a super light snack of a piece of fruit, cheese, or nuts/seeds. Small portions of food scattered throughout the day keeps your insulin levels balanced, prevents sugar crashes and cravings, and keeps your metabolism burning.

12:00pm – Time out to Rehydrate

The timer dinged and it’s time to rehydrate before returning to your task list. Water not only replenishes lost fluids, it helps curb hunger, fight cravings, distribute nutrients to the body, and keeps joints soft.

When your hydration break is complete, hit the project list again.

Do it today: Drink 8 – 16 ounces of water.

1:00pm – Power Up Again

It’s time for lunch! Instead of opting for that brick of a pizza you were thinking of having, choose a light but powerful meal that will fuel you for the rest of the day.

Do it today: Baked tuna seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper with a side of 1cup grilled asparagus seasoned with garlic and serrano peppers, 1 cup salad dressed in a little olive oil and lemon juice, and a small apple.

3:00pm – Water Tracking

Time to check in with your water intake and adjust. Not enough water will leave you feeling hungry, dehydrated, and tired. Although every body is different, The Institute of Medicine suggests men get 3 Liters (around 13 cups) of water per day and women get 2.2 liters (around 9 cups) of water per day. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink, then your body is already in depletion and dehydrated.

Do it today: Start a Water Log and tick off your water as you drink. Then, check in at 3pm to make sure you’re on the right track.

4:00pm – Challenge Your Brain

You’ve used up all that delicious lunch you ate, now it’s time to maintain those insulin levels with another super light snack break followed with a little 15min-30min challenge. By introducing vigorous mental stimulation daily you can grow your brain.

6:00pm Dine In

Time for dinner! Keep your body purring with another energizing meal. Make it light and satisfying. Avoid a heavy meal that could effect your sleep pattern later. Sleeping on an overly full stomach interrupts your quality of sleep and get stored as fat if your body can’t use it all. Eat smart.

Do it today: Grilled chicken seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice and your favorite seasonings (um, NOT butter) with 2 sides of fresh vegetables, and a small piece of fruit.

Do it today: Spend time socializing with friends and family…today and every day.

8:00pm – Meditate

It’s time to throw away any stress from the day and begin the wind-down. Meditation leads to calmness, awareness, relieves physical tension from stress. Doing this type of mental exercise before sleep can help you get a better night’s rest and prepare you for the next day.

Do it today: Practice QiGong for a few minutes at the same time each night. QiGong is a meditation practice similar to Tai Chi that regulates breath and posture through awareness and controlled movements.

10:00pm – Rest Well

Proper preparation for sleep can help insure that the rest you get is optimal and refreshing. Taking steps to sleep well sets your cycle for the next day.